The Chicago Journal

Your Gateway to the Heartbeat of Chicago

InTheir20s, an Insight-Rich Podcast Designed to Guide the Youth to Success

As prevalent as podcast listening currently is, there are still countless beginners to this specific type of audio program. For individuals who are about to dip their toes into the content-rich world of podcasts, it may be confusing and challenging to sort through the saturated space and find one deserving of their time and attention. Distinguishing itself apart from the sea of accessible and available podcasts online, InTheir20 has managed to stand out because of its focus on inspiring the youth and enabling success through bridging the gap between aspirants and established powerhouses.

InTheir20s is a podcast launched by recent college graduates Landon Campbell and Michael Holmes. Within weeks of earning their degrees from DePaul University during a global health crisis, these two go-getters recognized the need to help their peers survive mass unemployment, intense social change, unrest, and overall uncertainty. Their astute observation regarding the gaps caused by the pandemic drove them to create what is now a growing podcast known for serving as a “how-to” guide on becoming successful. 

“InTheir20s is important because every student and young professional deserves access to the best advice and mentorship from the most influential people,” the minds behind this widely-acclaimed podcast share. The astounding number of people who have been following the episode releases of this insightful and success-enabling platform is solid evidence of its reputation within the digital space.

Numerous factors have contributed to the domination of InTheir20s. Since 2020, its hosts have interviewed the most powerful business leaders, celebrities, and all-star athletes, extracting insights about how these household names navigated their own 20s and the strategies they wielded to reach the forefront of their industry. The effort and resources Landon Campbell and Michael Holmes have spent to connect these powerhouses with listeners worldwide rest on the recognition that it is crucial to hear their stories. “To become successful, you need to see success,” adds Landon. 

Cathy Bessant, the Chief Operations and Technology Officer at the Bank of America, recently shared her tale of triumph at InTheir20s. Heralded as the “Most Powerful Woman in Banking” by Forbes and American Banker, she has led the Bank of America’s Global Technology and Operations. Not only has this trailblazing personality guaranteed the delivery of end-to-end technology and operating services through a team of 95,000 people in over 35 countries, but she has also overseen the company’s business continuity and information security efforts. In 2020, After claiming the top spot for three consecutive years, Cathy Bessant was inducted into the “25 Most Powerful Women in Banking” Hall of Fame by American Banker.

Apart from Cathy Bessant, the founders of InTheir20s have also facilitated fruitful conversations with Boka Restaurant Group co-founder Kevin Boehm and five-time NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway Sr. During the 2020 presidential race, the power duo interviewed former presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke, delving into a discussion on the role young people play when it comes to hitting the polls. 

On track to the top of the podcast charts, InTheir20s plans to continue inspiring the youth in the coming years. Through more interviews with esteemed individuals who have achieved success, Landon Campbell and Michael Holmes aim to impact the lives of the current generation.

Learn more about InTheir20s by visiting its website. Their episodes are available to watch on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube, and make sure to follow them on Instagram and LinkedIn (@intheir20s.)

Trace Bartruff: Driven Actor and Influencer Quickly Rises to Fame

Having a clear-cut goal is often essential to drive people towards the summits. Without this powerful vision in mind, success will remain as an imaginary and unattainable concept. For passionate and driven souls like Trace Bartruff, it helps that an image of the desired future keeps playing in their minds. To them, these visions are what ignites the fire hidden beneath their bodies that immensely fuel them to climb the pinnacles of greatness. For this reason, Trace never shied away from his goals and continued to set his eyes on rising to fame in order to make a name for himself.

Needless to say, people aim to get ahead for different reasons. While others seek fame to generate wealth, Trace Bartruff desires prominence in order to leave a positive impact across the globe. He wants to be put in a position to use his stature to make a difference worldwide. Packed with a goal of creating a better world, this rising actor and social media model seeks to dominate the digital and entertainment space with grace and finesse.

Hailing from the soil where the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame presently stands, Ohio is home to a go-getting individual who has seamlessly demonstrated the extent of his prowess at an early age. At the age of fourteen, he took risks and launched his career despite the threats faced by the global health crisis. He was able to establish a strong social media presence across multiple platforms and successfully made a mark by gathering over 7,000 followers on Instagram in a short period of time.

Trace Bartruff’s eminence across the digital was not caused by some happy accident. If anything, this stellar influencer proves worthy of his distinction due to the quality of content he provides. From his work experiences down to his personal life, Trace offers a peek into his daily activities dedicated to connecting and relating to his fans across the online realm.

Without a doubt, this eager soul has truly set things in motion throughout the digital space with his compelling content and reassuring presence. Although fame was quick to catch Trace Bartruff’s trailblazing spirit, he never allowed his popularity to overpower his purpose. Thus, he continues to talk with his followers, build connections, and create lasting relationships with them. Trace believes that by doing this, he becomes one step closer to his goal of becoming a positive influence to young, driven, and passionate individuals worldwide.

Indeed, this star is aiming to capture the hearts of many by staying true to himself and maintaining an open, genuine, and lively disposition. Having established his sterling reputation across the digital space, Trace Bartruff has no plans of slowing down any time soon.

As Trace Bartruff continues to bloom as an actor and social media model, he is set to build a brand for himself that positively impacts people around the globe. By sticking to his clear-cut goal of changing the world, it will be no surprise if Trace propels his career to greater heights in the years to come.

To know more about Trace Bartruff, you may visit his website.

Shariece Williams Turned Her Negative Trigger Into a Positive Drive to Impact the Youth Through Her Book Series

Children’s books are essential tools in educating the youth. They are used to promote vocabulary enhancement, provide entertainment, and develop emotional intelligence & creativity. Children’s books often plant a seed in the youth, giving them a dream that grows with them as they get older. Shariece M. Williams is a children’s book author who uses her series to implement essential life lessons for the youth.

Shariece Williams was born in Vallejo, California. Growing up, she was always told that her dreams were overly ambitious, and she could not realize them. Like most children, the discouragement left a negative impression on her. However, the negative turned her trigger into a positive drive, one that she would put to use by working with the youth and positively impacting as many children’s lives as she could. 

All the doubts and voices tell her “No” only fueled her passion and drive to accomplish her goals. Williams became more determined to work harder, developed a dedication to everything she did, never giving up, and being consistent. She persevered even through the private moments when she felt like she had failed multiple times.

Shariece Williams spent a lot of time researching how she could turn her dreams into a reality, going into many different ventures. But no matter where she ended up, Williams always found herself geared back to her passion — the youth. She developed a dream to write a children’s book one day that would inspire and motivate children, letting them know that no matter how hard it gets, they should never give up and work hard.

From her teen years to adulthood, Williams became passionate about working with the youth. She would coach sports, music, dancing, cheerleading, gymnastics, mentoring, and more. Williams received an M.A. in Education at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia. She would later work with the youth globally, going beyond America and pursuing her passion in China, Germany, France, and Italy. Having done many great things, Williams found love back in the United States, where she currently resides with her husband, son, and daughter in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

A licensed educator, Williams would go back to her dream of writing a children’s book. She self-publishes her own series titled Princess Heart and Penny D, which would teach children how to interact from home and motivate & inspire them to remain undeterred with a never-give-up attitude. Upon starting a family of her own and raising her children, Williams was inspired to base the characters in her book on her family. She published four children’s books in a span of six months and was featured in local news channels in Las Vegas with her books available in Walmart.

As the pandemic continues to loom over the globe, Shariece William is hopeful that her book series will provide self-teaching motivation and empowerment skills that can be passed down from one generation to the next. Additionally, Williams has dedicated her time to coach children and adults who are interested in self-publishing.

Shariece Williams will continue building and completing the rest of her series. With many of her dreams already realized, she has set her sights on opening a youth fun fitness center that offers extracurricular activities and more.

To learn more about Shariece Williams, you may visit her website.

Jack Fulton Smith: Adapting to the New Normal and Keeping Fans Entertained

In the UK music industry today, one name stands out: Jack Fulton Smith, a talented musician, and songwriter. As a naturally gifted musician, he did not professionally learn to write or make music but instead relied on his talent and instinct to create some of the best melodic tunes over the last few years. 

Jack is a founding member of the UK music band Idolising Nova, a band that is currently making waves across the UK, Europe, and the Middle East. Some of the songs that Jack wrote have been played on national TV and on the radio in the UK. The songs have also done well in the Middle East, topping charts in Qatar. In 2018, Idolising Nova joined The Vamps on their European tour, entertaining crowds of more than 3,000 fans.

Jack is also an integral member of the Stilton Butchers, a family-run business, and has contributed immensely to the company’s growth. He currently serves as a digital marketer for Stilton, which is now one of the biggest online butchers in the UK and is particularly renowned for its excellent customer service, high-quality meat, and efficient nationwide delivery. 

Despite the recent success the band has achieved, Jack noted that 2020 was a challenging year thanks to the pandemic, which had the world on lockdown for several months. According to him, in March 2020, it felt like the world was crumbling around him, and he lost all motivation to push himself and succeed at the time. “We had big plans for the year, including touring the UK and Europe with a major label band with a huge global fan base, but then the world was put in lockdown, and all our plans were out the window. How long is this going to last? How are we going to keep fans interested in us if we can’t play live shows? Should we delay releasing music?” he recalled. 

With many questions and answers, Jack soon realized that the world hadn’t stopped moving, and he only needed to start figuring out the answers for himself. Jack notes that the goals are still the same, just the pathway to achieving them has changed. Rather than stop or delay the release of new music, the band used the lockdown period to intensify their work rate, and in 2020 alone, they released three singles, each of them amassing hundreds of thousands of streams. 

According to Jack, keeping active was the best decision they ever made. Not only did their streaming numbers rocket, but their music was also played on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ with millions of viewers resulting in thousands of Shazams, and they topped radio charts in Qatar. Keeping active has resulted in record labels contacting the band and a few major label bands offering them support slots on their next tours when live shows can safely recommence. 

He is driven by his desire to succeed and be the best version of myself.  Besides the band’s music production, Jack is responsible for everything for the band, from writing the music with his bandmates to the day-to-day management. He is also responsible for building relationships and getting the opportunities to help them get to the stage where they sign a record deal with a major label. 

In five years, Jack believes Idolising Nova will be signed to a major record label, touring the world and helping upcoming bands and artists by giving them advice and support and increasing their exposure opportunity. “Truly believing in something is very special, and if you can get people interested, invested, and talking about the thing you believe in, the sky is your limit, and you can achieve great things,” he concludes. 

Learn more about Idolising Nova, your details, project details Here.

Kimi Weintraub Talks About Her Clubhouse Pitch Tank Success

As a full-time spokesmodel and commercial model, Kimi Weintraub has extensive experience working with different companies and brands. As the pandemic hit, she decided to use her expertise to start an e-commerce content-creation business. Her startup began small, but a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on the Clubhouse app would lead to five well-established investors vying for a chance to work with her.

“When authorities put lockdowns and social distancing guidelines into effect, I noticed how a lot of physical stores scrambled to get their business running online. Many new entrepreneurs also started creating online stores as a way to earn income during these uncertain times,” Kimi Weintraub shares. Her experience working with Amazon as a model exposed her to various individuals who felt intimidated by creating online listings or e-commerce sites. “I built a company to cater specifically to these people. I wanted to help business owners sell their products on different online and social media platforms,” says Kimi.

Navigating her new role as the founder of this startup, Kimi Weintraub started small. She worked with a few clients at a time, growing her business slowly. Last month, Kimi got invited to join the exclusive Clubhouse app. “Joining Clubhouse has given me a huge opportunity to build more connections with entrepreneurs and scale up my business,” Kimi shares. Little did she know that her decision to join the app would lead to an even more significant breakthrough for her company. 

Clubhouse created Pitch Tank, which follows the format of the hit TV show Shark Tank. High-profile celebrities, investors, and entrepreneurs formed a panel that would listen to various entrepreneurs pitch their ideas and decide if they want to invest. Kimi Weintraub was one of the 2,000 people chosen to pitch her business to these seasoned investors.

“I was sixth in line to pitch,” Kimi recalls, “The five business owners who went before me did okay, but none of them got a deal. My turn came, and I used my allotted one minute to pitch hard.” Her efforts resulted in five sharks fighting to partner with her and her e-commerce content creation company. “It felt surreal. Kevin Harrington, who was an original member of ABC’s Shark Tank, even expressed interest in me being a spokesmodel with his company, As Seen on TV.”

With multiple investors interested in her company, Kimi Weintraub had a tough decision to make. She needed a partner who would help her business grow and serve as a strategic partner in her entrepreneurial journey. Kimi shares, “I chose to partner with Akemi Sue Fisher, a strong female entrepreneur.” Akemi Sue Fisher is known as the “Amazon Queen” and is one of the world’s most trusted e-commerce brand consultants. “I knew that working with her would make me grow as an entrepreneur. We have already discussed the next steps in scaling my business, and I am excited to see how our partnership will bloom,” Kimi says.

Kimi Weintraub credits her successful pitch in part to her extensive experience as a spokesmodel and host. Her classical voice training from Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, where she learned classical voice performance, diction, and vocal technique, gave her the skills that set her apart as a speaker. Having an MBA also gave Kimi the drive to utilize her business skills in expanding her career. “Learning how to run a business has given me so many opportunities to develop my career,” she shares.

“I have learned so much on this journey. I have integrated my skills as a spokesperson, model, and entrepreneur to get to where I am today,” Kimi says. “When I felt unsure, I asked advice from women I admired. Their support has helped me move forward and has inspired me to help build up other women.”

Kimi Weintraub has gone from a freelance spokesmodel and brand ambassador to becoming a CEO of a thriving and rapidly growing digital commerce company. “I hope that other people hear my story and will be inspired to turn their dreams into a reality.”

Kimi Weintraub is working to take her business to new heights. For more information about Kimi, you may visit her website and Instagram page.

How Evan the Card Guy Fulfilled His Dream to Become a Social Media Sensation

Evan Alberto, best known on social media as Evan the Card Guy, was an ordinary person with big dreams when he set out to conquer online digital platforms. The magician and creative content creator started posting his videos featuring his magic skills back in 2019, not knowing that his fifth post would become sensational and life-changing content. Going viral was the only motivation Evan needed to pursue doing social media full-time, and the Internet sensation has not looked back since then. 

Despite the lack of guidance and background when it comes to creating online content that has the potential to go viral, Evan the Card Guy managed to capture a phenomenal following of 16.3 million people on TikTok alone. He did all this in just a span of two years. What usually takes the majority of social media users a longer period of time to achieve, Evan did in a blink of an eye. His creativity, keen eye for what entertains the public, and hard work were instrumental in meeting his goal to generate a remarkable number of followers. 

“I really pursued my dreams on my own and was a pioneer in bringing magic to social media. I had no direction or advice from anyone, so I had to make lots of trials and errors to get to where I am today. I’ve posted over 3,000 unique videos total in the last two years,” Evan reveals. 

During the time that Evan the Card Guy was eyeing to become an online celebrity, he was a normal college student who worked as a janitor to make ends meet. Alongside his tight schedule, he would always make a way to come up with engaging videos. Apart from his magic, he also posts entertaining trivia that people from different parts of the world look out for. 

Evan’s love for magic emerged when he was 12 years old after he was prohibited from playing video games. He searched for something that would keep him busy, and magic captured his heart right away. He would practice endlessly until he mastered the skills necessary. By the time he was 13, Evan had become the youngest member of The Magic Castle in Hollywood, a private club for magicians and magic enthusiasts. It was during that time that he witnessed the joy of being able to share the wonders of magic with other people. Seeing how many magicians have perfected their craft and elevated their game, Evan found himself desiring the same things for himself. 

The promising magician hopes to one day become the David Blaine of this generation, someone bold, daring, and completely phenomenal. Becoming the face of magic for his generation is something that he wants to earn and be able to live up to someday—understanding that it takes time and more hard work, Evan the Card Guy is more than willing to do what it takes to get there. 

At present, Evan the Card Guy is focused on growing his new project hosting the It’s Tricky Podcast. He invites emerging talents on his podcast to talk about their upcoming projects and careers. Some of the promising personalities he has featured so far include music artist Clinton Kane, and influencer Sean Does Magic. 

Learn more about Evan the Card Guy by following him on Instagram and TikTok

Yessenia Cossio: the Steep Climb to the Top as a Stuntwoman

In today’s world, many people are unwilling to let go of their comfortable but unfulfilling life to seek out their passion. However, some individuals dare to undertake the arduous journey required in making their dreams a reality against all odds. One such individual is Miami-born Yessenia Cossio, who quit her nine-to-five job and risked financial instability to pursue her dreams.

Born Yessenia Cossio-Alonso to Cuban immigrants as the second child on December 31, 1988, Yessenia was a nine-year-old girl when she found her interest in singing. She was encouraged and enrolled in singing classes, where she performed in the school chorus and local church. Even at that young age, Yessenia had an unshakable feeling that a piece of herself was missing.

In 2006, Yessenia Cossio played her first dialogue script about women’s rights in her English class. Her performance was so good that her teacher and classmates encouraged her to join the drama class to finesse her acting skills. To fund her dream of becoming an actor, Yessenia took a full-time job as a computer technical support specialist at Sears Telemarketing Center and was promoted within a year. Despite her success in her career, Yessenia had a gnawing feeling to pursue her passion, and she quit her job for a part-time job. After seven years, Yessenia Cossio took a leap of faith, left the corporate world, became unemployed, and gave full attention to her dreams.

In January 2013, Yessenia multitasked as she joined The Miami Acting Studio, had a part-time job as a brand ambassador, and took acting and parkour classes. By August of the same year, Yessenia began her training to compete in the bikini division for the National Physique Committee (NPC). Her hard work and commitment to the fitness industry were rewarding, but Yessenia still had the pervasive feeling that something was lacking.

Always one to take charge, Yessenia became a member of the Acting Table Meeting in Davie, FL, and research into the industry birthed a new interest in her, Stunts. In January 2014, her hard work, determination, and perseverance paid off, and Yessenia performed her first shootout stunt in a classy ballroom dress, getting shot and impacted by a squib. Her success in playing the character only opened doors to more possibilities of finally making her dreams a reality. She further cemented her role as a professional and received training in martial arts, wirework, parkour, and stunt driving, among others. She performed on the competitive TV

show Ultimate Tag as the character Dynamite. She later added the movie Dune, Queen

of the South, MacGyver, and Exalton Season 2 to her portfolio.

Today, Yessenia Cossio is a renowned actor, stuntwoman, and philanthropist. She is giving back to society and heavily donates and invests in different causes for cancer, epidermolysis bullosa, autism, homeless shelters, and others. In 2019, her selflessness and donations were awarded the Humanitarian Award from World Freerunning and Parkour Federation (WFPF).

Yessenia Cossio takes great pride in her profession and soon hopes to act for a Marvel, DC, or Disney movie while also doing her stunts. She wants to encourage others to leap of faith when pursuing their dreams.

To learn more about Yessenia Cossio-Alonso, you may visit this website.

Hip-Hop Artist 2K Pounce Juno Spreading Cheer With Carribean Style of Music

Music is a powerful tool. The interwoven structure of sound, style and lyrics effectively conveying deep emotions. Music as a tool for conveying messages and emotions was quite evident in the year 2020 as the eventful year tried the strength and resilience of many. Prominent among the musical artists that make music to help people cope especially during these uncertain times is 2K Ponce Juno who continues to take the world of Hip Hop by storm, changing the status quo as he reaches over the boundaries of music.

Originally from the Staten Island of New York, 2K Ponce Juno is carving out a global niche from himself in the music scenes. He found his passion for music at a tender age influenced heavily by his musically-inclined family. His sister especially played a major role when she introduced him to hip-hop and reggae music and encouraged him to participate in the West Indian tradition of Carnival. In addition, his innate talent for playing musical instruments was influenced by his brother and father. In an interview, he stated “Music is in my blood. This is just what I do.” He is now renowned as an Hip-Hop artist unique for his authentic blend of Caribbean New York influence in his songs. 

Despite his early start in the music industry, success did not come until later, but the 2K Pounce considers the years as a practice which molded him into the artist he is today. As a result of the hard work and dedication, 2K Pounce Juno is now a professional artist of Sony Music Group/The Orchard and High Performance Records. In 2012 alone, he released his first-ever project titled “Chicken Grease ‘N Grits” which was well-received by the audience, and gained more than three thousand hits on Datpiff. His first album launch titled “Concrete” was also well received by fans, the deep lyrics and sound gaining him wide acclaim and catapulted his career. Before the pandemic halted the world, his music could be heard blaring from public spaces as it grew in popularity.

The waves made by 2K Ponce Juno in the music industry did not go unnoticed and his dauntless effort led to the opportunity of him becoming part of Sony/Orchard and Mo Thugs Family’s America’s Most Blunted Tour. However, due to the pandemic the event could not hold. Undeterred, 2K continues to create sweet tunes and recently released his new single titled, “Go Pretty Girl Remix” featuring artists such as Double K and Beenie Man. The song was played repeatedly on mainstream radio stations such as Hot 97.1, Suncity 104.9 FM, Irie FM Ochos Rios Jamaica, and Drtybsmnt Radio. 

Aside from being a successful musician, 2K Pounce Juno is also a professional with the mind of a businessman. He is the owner and founder of Ellipse Group Records Global LLC which is a home for up and coming hip-hop artists. The company has various subsidiaries namely Star Music Group LLC and EGR Global Music Publishing.

To be in the loop about 2K Ponce Juno’s music releases, you may visit his official website.

Celebrity Chef Carlos Brown Helping the Next Generation

Best known as the celebrity chef inducted into the Smithsonian African-American Museum for his authentic shrimp and grits dish and for working alongside famous personalities such as Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Viola Davis, Whoopi Goldberg and Shaquille O’Neal, Chef Carlos Brown currently stands as an inspiration in the culinary world so much so that he was even honored with “Chef Carlos Brown Day,” which happens every August 23 in Charleston, South Carolina. Aside from all of his accolades, Chef Carlos has a heart for youth, special needs children and families. 

Through his nonprofit C3 International Culinary Camp, Inc., Chef Carlos hosts a training camp for children aspiring to explore their passion for the food industry. Along with highly-trained chefs and food experts, Chef Carlos teaches the campers the fundamentals of preparing dishes ranging from appetizers, salads and entrees to desserts. Children get to explore daily themes with the chance to showcase the skills they learn in the kitchen through hands-on and practical demonstrations, cooking games, and finally, in the Chef Challenge competition.

Aside from mastering skills in the kitchen, C3 International Culinary Camp, Inc. goes over and beyond as it teaches its students several life skills, including effective communication, social responsibility, goal setting and business etiquette. Overall, the organization hopes to use the culinary craft to further develop and influence the appreciation of how food is viewed and consumed with the freedom to experience food as an art that creates fun moments, meaningful connections and special experiences.

The visionary behind the nonprofit is also the restaurateur of Shrimp & Grits Cafe, a Lowcountry and bistro dining experience. Coming from humble beginnings of working in his mother’s kitchen, Chef Carlos first started his culinary career in the dish room of a local restaurant. He worked his way up, envisioning a bright future in the hospitality industry. As fate would have it, award-winning actor Jim Carey tasted one of his dishes and requested him to be his private chef. Soon, Chef Carlos found himself cooking master dishes for Tyler Perry, Ray Lewis and many more Hollywood stars. 

Over time, Chef Carlos has proven to be one of the most talented chefs in the country. His exceptional gift in the kitchen is signified by numerous awards including the 2020 National Black Chefs Culinary Excellence Award, American Culinary Federation Award, the Diamond Culinary Medal and the Kingston Chef Scholastic Award. 

For Chef Carlos, his passion for the culinary world would not be complete without advancing his lifelong advocacy of helping youth realize their culinary dreams. He is committed to giving back and making a difference in the community and hopes to inspire the next generation of chefs to explore their talent and highest potential.

Learn more about Chef Carlos Brown by visiting his website.

Yung Hassi: From Fired Employee to Millionaire Influencer

Four years ago, Yung Hassi was an unpopular high schooler with no promising future. Whenever he went to school, the other kids made fun of him and called him names. Whenever he got a job, his boss would end up firing him after a short amount of time. It just didn’t seem like Hassi could do anything right.

So, like most teenagers that want to escape from their troubles, Hassi immersed himself in the world of social media. He was a big fan of the humorous internet memes as they relate to celebrities in the entertainment industry. This gave him the idea to create social media pages which revolve around different memes. He picked Twitter and Instagram as the two main social media networks to create his pages on.

In 2016, just one year after he started doing this, Hassi amassed nearly 5 million followers in total on both Twitter and Instagram. When he realized the potential that he had to make money from all these followers, he started running ads on his meme pages just to see what would happen. Sure enough, he generated more than six figures during his first year. Every year after that, his income kept growing and growing.

After accumulating more than 15 million followers, Hassi started to capture the attention of major artists like Logan Paul, Lil Yachty, Snoop Dogg, and Ray J. Hassi began working with them as a promoter of their latest songs and works. This is what earned him bigtime money that escalated him to millionaire status. It is hard to believe that only 4 years ago, Hassi was a broke teenager with no job. That is the power of social media.

Hassi no longer depends on meme pages alone to promote his clients’ advertisements. He has used his popularity to start his own personal page on Instagram too. This page already has over 100,000 followers in counting. As a result, Hassi is officially an Instagram influencer because of his large fanbase. If he recommends a product or service to his followers, they are going to listen.

Imagine the power that somebody like Hassi has now. When a client pays him to recommend their product, that recommendation could potentially be seen by 100,000 people. But even if only 20% of those people pay attention to the recommendation, that’s 20,000 people who may decide to purchase the product being suggested. It is no wonder why celebrities are paying him five figures just to make one post which recommends their songs and albums.

Hassi continues to work hard every day and push himself to the limit. He knows that’s what it takes to grow followers on social media and to keep his existing followers happy. After all, if he doesn’t keep posting relevant content that his followers want to see, then they’ll unsubscribe or unfollow his pages. So, he has a continued responsibility to produce good content that his followers want to see. Not all of his content is product recommendations because that’ll seem too spammy to them.